Dead Sea meet to be ‘a hub for consensus building’ — Safadi

DEAD SEA — Jordan hopes that the 28th Arab summit will help Arab states reach increased consensuses amidst a myriad of issues and challenges facing the region, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi said on Sunday.

There are differences among several Arab states, said Safadi at a meeting with reporters on Sunday. “But what brings us together is more than what separates us”, he added.

“There are many unified stances and Jordan is building on this consensus,” the foreign minister said.

He added that Jordan, which hosts the summit for the 4th time, believes that the current summit will be a hub for consensus building among the Arabs and more intensified coordination and cooperation on various fronts.

The summit is a positive step towards enhancing agreement among all Arabs, Safadi added, saying that Jordan has always been a land for consensus among Arabs and the summit will be realistic in addressing all issues.

“We want the summit to be a platform for effective and transparent dialogue… We want the summit to help the Palestinian issue take centre stage as it is the core issue in the Middle East,” the minister said.

Safadi added that a solution to the Palestinian issue should lead to the creation of an independent Palestinian state through effective and serious peace talks based on the two-state solution. 

The issue of Jerusalem is a very important topic that was discussed by the Arab foreign ministers, he said.

“There is a clear Arab stance that rejects Israel’s unilateral measures in Jerusalem,” the foreign minister noted, adding that Arab foreign ministers highlighted His Majesty King Abdullah’s role in this regard as the custodian of the holy Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem.

“We will continue to defend the Arab identity of Jerusalem and reject all Israeli attempts to alter the identity of the holy city… There is a clear Arab consensus and stand to defend the role of Jordan in protecting the sites and rejecting all Israeli attempts in this regard,” said Safadi.

On Syria, he reiterated the need for a political solution to end the cycle of violence and bloodshed. 

“We are for a political, not a military, solution to the situation in Syria.We want a solution that is accepted by all Syrians,” Safadi stressed. 

Meanwhile, Safadi on Sunday delivered King Abdullah’s greetings to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani during a meeting in Doha, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

At the meeting, Safadi delivered a verbal message from His Majesty on boosting bilateral relations and joint Arab action, in addition to highlighting preparations for the Arab summit. 

For his part, the Qatari emir delivered his greetings to King Abdullah and voiced interest in boosting relations. 

Safadi on Saturday also discussed bilateral relations and regional developments with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. 

Safadi visited Doha on Saturday upon an invitation from his Qatari counterpart.